Improvement in nipple-guards for fire-arms



B. LILLY.

[Nipple Guard for Fire-Arms. I No. 42,621. Patented May a, 1864.

Fig 1-.-

Witnesses UNITE BENJAMIN LILLY, OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY CHARLTON, or SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN NIPPLE-GUARDS FOR FlRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 412,62fl, dated May 3, 1864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN LILLY, of Birmingham, in the county'of Warwick, England, brass-founder, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in the Construction of Snap-Caps or Nipple-Protectors for Fire-Arms; and I, the said BENJAMIN LILLY, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention and in what manner the sameis to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the followingstatement thereof-that is to say: 1

This invention consists in constructing the outer casing of the snap-cap with atop or bottom or with top and bottom sockets or chambers of suitable depth, so that the leather or other pad on which the gun-lock hammer falls can be securely fastened in the one andametal washer fitting the square of the gun-nipple loosely secured in the other, while facility is also afforded for the introduction of a softmetal washer in conjunction with the pad in the top chamber,.so as to interpose between the pad and the mouth of the gun nipple when the snap-cap is in use. The top socket may be made of an equal depth all round; but'it is preferred to form it with a high and low side. Into this socket is fitted the pad, and firmly secured therein by turning over against it the top edge of said socket. This is easily effected either by the process known as spinning or by riveting, and thus the pad is secured against loss as well as prevented from being beaten out of shape by action of the hammer. The bottom socket is made of an equal depth all round, and into it a metal washer with a square hole fittting the square of the gun-nipple is secured in the manner already described, but loosely, so that the said washer may revolve within this lower socket. It will now, therefore, be readily seen that by rotating this improved snap-cap on the gun-nipple the upper surface of the pad will revolve eccentrically with the base of the snap-cap. Thus an adjustment is obtained of the pad-surface with the hammer-face no matter at what angle the gun-nipple may be set or in what position its squares may be, causing the hammer, when down, to bear equally all round the pad-face,

and so secure a close fit of the snap-cap base with the pad, so that it shall interpose between the said pad and the mouth of the nipple when the snap-cap is 011, thus hindering the entrance into the nipple of any particles given off from said pad when struckby the hammer.

Having thus stated the nature of the said invention, I will proceed to describe the manner of performing the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings by the words, figures, and letters marked thereon, and hereinafter alluded to.

Figures 1 and 2 represent side and end elevations of the snap-cap; Figs. 3 and 4, plan views of same, the former looking at the top, the latter looking at bottom, of cap,while Figs. 5 and 6 are vertical sections of the first and second figures, Figs. 7 and 8 being plan sections of Figs. 5 and 6 across the lines AB and (l D. Fig. 9 is another vertical section of Fig. 1, showing the soft-metal washer fastened in along with pad, and Fig.10 exhibits the snapcap complete, with its guard-chain for attaching it to the gun stock or barrel. Fig. 11 is a repetition of Fig. 6, but including the softmetal washer. This figure, 11, is drawn to an enlarged scalcviz. double of actual siz'e-for the purpose of showingmore distinctly in section the various parts which constitute the cap.

a a is the outer metal casing of snap-cap, divided by a web or diaphragm (see Figs. 5, 6, 8, 9, and 11) into top and bottom sockets or chambers, into the former of which the pad 12 b and into the latter the revolving washers c c are secured, as already described. The high and low sides of pad are seen in Figs. 2, 6, and 11. The opening or orificerising from the bottom of the cap up into and underthe pad (see Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11) is for the reception of the gun-nipple, and is eccentric with the center line of cap, as shown in Figs. 4, 6, 7, 8, and 11. The revolving washer 0 c has a square hole (see Fig. 4.) for the purpose of fitting or dropping onto the square of the gunnipple, and as this washer is made so as to revolve within this lower socket, so,- vice versa,

2 when The soft-metal washer, which acts as an ad ditional security, is marked (1 (I. (See'Figs. 9and11.)

Having thus fully described the nature of myinvention and the .best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same intoipractice, I wouldhave it"understoodthat I'd'o not confine myself to the exact details herein shown and described, so long as the peculiar character of my invention be retained,as the same maybe greatly varied without departing from the nature of the improvements herein fully set forth; but

What I claim is The improvements in the construction of snap-caps or nippleprotectors for firearms,

-- substantially as herein described.

BENJAMIN LILLY. NVitnesses:

RICHARD SKERRETT, HENRY SKERRETT. 

